RIYADH: Saudi and Omani envoys are planning to visit Yemen’s capital Sanaa next week to negotiate a permanent ceasefire deal with Iran-aligned Houthi officials and end an eight-year-old conflict there, two people involved in the talks said.

The move signals that regional rifts are easing after rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to restore relations last month following years of hostility and backing opposite sides in Middle Eastern conflicts, including Yemen.

A visit by Saudi officials to Sanaa is an indication of progress in Oman-mediated talks between the kingdom and the Iran-aligned Houthi movement, which run in parallel to United Nations peace efforts.

Oman, which shares borders with Yemen, has been trying for years to bridge differences between Yemen’s warring parties, and more broadly between Iran and Saudi Arabia and the United States. A permanent ceasefire in Yemen would mark a milestone in stabilising the Middle East.

If an agreement is reached, the parties could announce it before Eid holiday starting April 20, the sources said.

The Saudi and Yemeni governments did not immediately respond to requests for a comment.

The Houthis, who ousted the internationally recognised government from Sanaa in late 2014, de facto control north

Yemen and say they are rising up against a corrupt system and foreign aggression.

They have been fighting against a Saudi-led military alliance since 2015 in a conflict that has killed tens of thousands and left 80 per cent of Yemen’s population dependent on humanitarian aid.

The discussions are focused on a full reopening of Yemen’s ports and airports, payment of wages for public servants, a rebuilding process and a political transition, the sources said.

Saudi Arabia restarted its direct talks with the Houthi group last summer after both sides failed to renew a UN-brokered truce deal.

The UN hopes to resume a peaceful political process which would lead to a transitional unity government, if a ceasefire agreement is reached.

Published in Dawn, April 8th, 2023